The Time We First Met
by Xeldablade
Summary: After the events of Skyward Sword, Zelda still lives with the memories of being Hylia, the goddess that lived thousands of years before her. But these memories are not that pleasant... and Link tries to help her through it all. One-shot. Link & Zelda, Hylia & First Hero. Rated T for alcohol and language.


**Ah, hello internet! It's good to be back to write a bit, now that college is out and I can breathe again.**

 **So I really don't wanna say much about this story until the end, but all you need to know is this is post Skyward Sword, Link and Zelda are a couple (yaaaas), and Zelda is basically sharing a life with Hylia, just like in the game. And this story is rated T for alcohol and language, so if you don't like that sort of thing then you don't have to read!**

 **Also, R &R is deeply appreciated, as always ;)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda or anything like that, as usual, because that would be too good to be true.**

* * *

 _~Link~_

The flight from the Lumpy Pumpkin back to the Knight Academy took longer than I had expected it to. After a night of partying with Pumm, Kina, and several other fellow Skyloftians, the morning after seemed to drag on as I struggled to stay awake on the back of my crimson loftwing. I even almost dropped my six-pack of Pumpkin Ale, an alcoholic drink that Pumm gave to me as a reward for all of my hard work of saving Skyloft. I insisted that it was unnecessary, since I had a lot of help and Zelda did most of the work, but I took it anyways because he said it was the least he could do.

I was planning on heading straight for my room, but just as I reached the Light Tower, in the corner of my eye I spotted a familiar pink dress on a girl with long golden hair, laying by the pond near the waterfall. With a warm feeling in my cheeks, I pivoted towards the girl, and jumped off the bird once I was above the same stretch of land that she was on.

Using my sailcloth, I was able to land safely on my feet. I wanted to sneak up on her, but she saw me before I even landed.

"Hey, Zel," I said, sitting next to her.

"Hey, you." She smiled at me, still laying on her back. "What do you have there?"

I showed her the Pumpkin Ale. "Just something Pumm gave me. I'm not going to drink it though… do you want it?"

"Um sure…" she looks at me skeptically. "Why? Alcohol never bothered you before, did it?"

This was true. Before our journey took place, Pipit and I would sometimes go out together and drink without any second thoughts. It wasn't necessarily a common occurrence, but occasionally we would go to the Lumpy Pumpkin for the night and drink for fun.

But that was before… and everything is different now.

I hesitate momentarily before I answer her. "Well… whenever you were taken to the surface, since that very moment… I always wanted to keep a clear head, to know what's going on around me at all times. I can't protect us sufficiently if everything around me is a blur." I shrug slightly, and then add, "And that includes not drinking anymore."

Suddenly a strange sadness befalls Zelda's face. But it doesn't alarm me; I see this every day. And she doesn't need to tell me what she's thinking for me to know. She blames herself for making me follow her to the surface, for putting me through such suffering. And when she's not thinking about how she used me, she's sometimes seeing Hylia's memories, plagued with war, fear, and loss.

It doesn't matter how many times I tell her. I _don't_ blame her for what happened, _none_ of this is her fault. But she never hears me. Sometimes when I talk to her, I catch her staring at the sky, lost in her own little world.

"I…I'm sorry…" she mutters, the guilt evident in her voice.

I begin to tell her again that it's not her fault, but she already can't hear me. This time, she's staring at my arm, which I catch her doing often as well.

In my final battle with Demise, I had to use a Skyward Strike in order to defeat him. But the lightning that charged up my sword was so powerful that when it reached my hand, it's power did not cease. The energy currents surged through my arm up to my shoulder, leaving a lightning-shaped scar on my right arm.**

This is yet another thing she blames herself for. She often tries to make it look like she's not curious about the scar, like it would bother me if she looked at it. I don't mind her gazing, but I also don't call her out on it, because I know that no matter what I say it wouldn't make her feel any better.

We both remain quiet, and gaze up towards the cloudless sky. But then, to my surprise, she speaks to me first.

"Remember when we would do this when we were kids? Everything was so much easier back then. I really miss those days."

"Yeah…too bad we're not kids anymore. But we can still act like it."

"Maybe sometimes…" she then turns on her side and faces me. "Except you won't swim with me in this pond anymore like we used to."

I try to make my brief laugh sound genuine, but I fear she might be able to tell its fake. "Yeah, I guess I'm just not a fan of swimming anymore."

Her soft smile slowly fades. "You mean, not ever since…"

"I just grew out of it, Zel," I attempt to convince her. "I just prefer the sky. Nothing to worry about, alright?"

And now I'm on my side, facing her. I want to talk to her about something, but I'm not sure how she'll take it. But if I can get through to her, then maybe it'll ultimately help her. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Link."

"Do you remember the time we first met?"

"Of course I do."

"No, Zelda, not us…" She looks at me with confusion, so I explain. "I know you have memories as Hylia, and from what I can tell, they're not very great ones. But I had this dream the other night…where I met Hylia. And I know it was just a dream but…it didn't feel like one. It felt stronger than that. Like a memory."

She continues to look at me, but I can't quite read the expression in her face. "…What?"

"I know you have bad memories, but something tells me you're not remembering the good ones. Like when we first met."

But then, my fatigue mysteriously disappears and an unknown force seems to awaken in my being. I feel as though I'm looking through the eyes of another, and I am no longer in control of myself. My hand brushes across her face, and I speak to her softly. "Hylia? Do you remember?"

Hylia stares at me, but she doesn't seem lost. She's trying to see me, trying to find the lost soul that is buried underneath thousands of years. For a brief second, I'm living another life, looking at the eyes of a different woman. But before I know it, she is standing up, rejecting the feelings that her mind is telling her to feel.

I snap back to reality to my tired self, and I'm trying to figure out what just happened when I hear Zelda's voice. "I…Link I…just want to be alone right now." She picks up the Pumpkin Ale she knows I won't touch and begins to walk away.

Before I know it, she's disappeared from my line of sight. I know Zelda has been struggling with having two souls in her one body, and although I am not burdened with her painful memories, I am starting to think that maybe we're not as different as I thought we were.

* * *

 _~Zelda~_

I'm not sure how long I've confined myself to my room for. I know it's been several hours, because when I look out the window, sunset stretches across the boundless sky. I've been trying to distract myself from Hylia's memories as best I can with activities like humming, drawing, reading. They provide temporary relief, but they can't exterminate the problem altogether.

Sometimes I feel a lot better when I'm with Link, though I'm not sure why. My mind becomes clearer and I feel a brief sense of liberation. That's the reason why I left him as quickly as I did earlier today; when I'm with him I try to just forget everything, but he wanted me to remember even more.

I feel bad for leaving him, and my culpable conscience is driving me to go see him again. I'm not exactly sure where to look for him, but I guess my first stop should be his room.

I open my door to a quiet hallway, a usual sight at this time of day because usually everyone is outdoors, being done with their schoolwork for the day. I walk down the spiral staircase of the Knight Academy and an immediate left to Link's room, a walk I've taken countless times before.

I knock on the door, but there's no response. "Link?" I ask, still no reply. Sometimes when I do this, he doesn't hear me because he's too focused on other tasks, like carving one of his bird sculptures or writing a paper for a class. He always leaves the door unlocked, so I open the door and say his name again.

Through the window, the sun casts an orange glow into his room, a sight I don't see very often since we are usually outside at this time. His room is so still, so peaceful, that if it wasn't for his snoring then I probably wouldn't have even noticed he was there at all.

Link lays on his stomach, his arms wrapped around his pillow, fast asleep. The white shirt that he's wearing is ruffled up his back slightly, revealing his skin, which looks pink due to the unique color casting of the sun's glow. I walk over to him silently, avoiding the locations of the creaky floorboards that I memorized years ago. I can't help but smile as I give him a light kiss on his temple and pet his hair gently. I then move to the other end of his bed to grab a blanket to cover him up, and that's when I see it.

In the corner of my eye, I am able to catch the sight of his sunset-colored skin, which is slightly shiny. I lean in closer to inspect, and to my horror, I realize it is not the sunset that is making his skin its pink color, but the healing scars that covers his back. I gasp and cover my mouth with my hands as I observe each small wound, each given to him at some point in his journey, most likely in battle.

Tears begin to pool in my eyes, and I realize that this is why he doesn't swim with me anymore. Because he doesn't want me to see him like this. _What have I done?_

Despite my shaky hands, I pull up his shirt further, revealing yet more scars, some even with stitches in them. I start to wonder how he could possibly sleep so easily in this state, since this must hurt like hell. But then I think that maybe I've forced him to be so accustomed to pain that he can hardly even feel it anymore.

I step back, finding it difficult to breathe properly. Every cut, every bruise, any injury mental or physical… all of his suffering was my fault, my responsibility. I know this was Hylia's doing, but since we are one in the same, I feel equally as responsible. I have turned an innocent, life-loving boy into a swordsman with undeserving injuries that may or may not heal entirely.

 _What have I done?_

Visions begin to flash into my mind again. All I can see are scattered bodies surrounded by blood-soaked grass, small children screaming for their parents, a colorless sky. Each image is only temporary, but disturbing nonetheless and painfully vivid.

 _How do I make this go away?_ I think to myself as I back away through his doorway, almost stumbling over my own two feet.

 _How do I make this feeling go away?_

* * *

 _~Link~_

I woke up rather abruptly to the sight of Karane shaking my shoulder.

"Link…Hello? Earth to Link? Are you alive?"

I moaned and said, "Karane, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not currently in the customary state of consciousness for our usual banter. What time is it anyways?"

"It's almost midnight. Hey, I need you to do something for me."

I closed my eyes and asked, "And what might that be?"

"Can you get your girlfriend to stop making so much noise? Her room is right next to mine and I can't sleep. I have a test tomorrow morning with Owlan."

"Why don't you just talk to her yourself?"

"I've already tried, genius. But she said she won't open the door unless it's you."

I opened my eyes to look at her and see if she was being serious, and it looked like she was. "Are you sure?" I asked. It was unlike Zelda to be so unkind, especially to Karane, who she's been very close friends with for years.

"Do you really think I'd be here this late if I wasn't sure?"

It was a valid point, so I got up and walked with Karane up the academy stairs. As soon as we reached the second floor, she disappeared into her room, which was adjacent to Zelda's. I walked the rest of the hallway on my own, and knocked quietly on Zelda's door.

"Zel?" I asked, and when she didn't respond, I knocked again. "Zelda, it's Link. Are you there?"

I heard irregular footsteps approach the door, almost as if she tripped over something. She opened the door slowly and said "Well hello there, _Link_."

"Is everything ok?" I asked as I looked past her and into her room. All over her floor was books that she must have tossed around herself, causing the commotion that Karane was talking about. Her bedding, sheets and all, were also thrown around the room carelessly and for no apparent reason.

And then I looked at the desk in the back of her room, where the six-pack of Pumpkin Ale sat by itself. But it wasn't the sight of the bottles there that scared me.

What scared me was the fact that they were all empty.

I looked back at Zelda then, who seemed to be seeing me, but looking straight through me at the same time. She imitated me absentmindedly by whispering, "Is everything ok," and laughed loudly.

I quickly let myself in and shut the door. "Zel, you have to be quiet. If your father knew you were drinking like this…"

"What? He'd kick me out of shh-cool?" she slurred, and stepped forward and lost her footing. I managed to catch her before she collided with the ground, and I set her down on a pile of books because it was nearly impossible not to.

"Zelda, why did you drink all of the Pumpkin Ale?" I try to ask slowly, allowing her to grasp every word.

"Oh I'm sorry," she said even slower, articulating every word. "Did you want some?" She laughed again, thankfully a little quieter this time.

I sat down next to her, not really knowing what to do. Then she stops mid-giggle, and for the second time today, I catch her staring at my right arm. Her eyes trail along the marks on my skin that are shaped like bolts of lightning.

But the difference between now and earlier today is that now she cannot hide her curiosity. In her drunken state, she cannot mask the wonder that fills her eyes. She reaches across me to touch my arm with her hand, slowly tracing the marks. "Does it hurt?" she asks.

"It did at first," I answered honestly, "but not anymore."

"I'm…" she pauses for a moment before continuing. "…sorry for making you… so _shiny_."

She chuckles for a bit, but I have no idea what she's talking about. "What do you mean, Zelda?"

" _Shiny_ ," she repeats as if I hadn't heard her the first time. She moves her hand from my arm to my abdomen. "Right _here_."

I don't know how she knows about that, but everything is starting to make sense. She figured out something I had been hiding from her, blamed herself like I knew she would, and drank the Pumpkin Ale to ease the pain.

And as I'm figuring this out in my mind, Zelda gives me a look of worry and mutters "Uh oh," and covers her mouth. Knowing what's about to happen, I get up quickly, grab the trash bin by her desk, and manage to catch the vomit that spews from her mouth without a second to spare. She heaves forward, and I hold her hair out of her face with one hand and rub her back with the other.

When she looks to be done a few minutes later, I look at her bed, in which there is only a plain mattress, and say, "I think it's time for bed, Zel."

She then stands up, pushes herself away from me and shouts "No!" I beg her to be quiet, but she doesn't listen. Suddenly very upset and defiant, Zelda keeps nearly shouting at me that she isn't a child and will go to bed when she pleases.

"Alright fine!" I say desperately. "You don't have to go to bed. What would you like to do?"

Thankfully, she becomes quiet again, and looks curiously at me. She struggles to think of the words, something that she wants to say. And before I know it she collides into me, wraps her arms around my waist and whispers, "Dance with me."

"But there's no music playing."

"You don't need music to dance, Link," she tells me with her usual sass. And right in that moment, she sounded like her normal self again.

I smiled, kissed the top of her head and said, "Alright then, lets dance."

I opt to only move in a circle very slowly, hoping to decrease the chances of inducing any of her nausea. She leans into me, and I'm aware that if I would release her then she would probably collapse to the floor, so I don't dare to let her go.

Her speech is nearly imperceptible at this point, but I'm pretty sure I hear her murmur against my chest, "I love you, Link."

A warm, anomalous sensation rushes through me and I have an overwhelming urge to never let her go as I say, "I love you too, Hylia."

I'm not sure how long I stand there, holding her and moving in a tight circle, but it takes awhile before I notice that she is no longer holding herself upright, that all of her weight is in my arms. Her feet drag across the floor and over the random scattering of books as I continue to hold her there.

Eventually, I stop moving and look down at her. Hylia's eyes are closed and mouth is wide open, breathing deeply into my chest. "So I guess you're ready for bed now, then?" I whisper into her ear. But I don't get a response; instead, all I hear is the sound of a soft snore that escapes lightly from her throat.

I pick her up and carry her to the bed and lay her on her side, where I grab the nearest blanket and cover her with it. Then I gently lift her head and put a pillow underneath, and put the trash bin beside the bed (just in case). After kissing her on the cheek, I turn away and look at the books that are strewn about all over the floor. I figure that it will take a long time to get them all back in their proper places, so I begin to sort them into piles so I'll be able to reorganize them as soon as possible.

* * *

 _~Link~_

It's several hours before I see Zelda's eyes again. I sat at her desk, carving a wooden bird sculpture to pass the time, when I hear her voice.

"Oh. My. Goddesses…" she sais groggily with her hands on her temples, her eyes firmly shut. "Why is everything spinning?"

"How are you feeling?" I asked, even though I pretty much already knew the answer.

"Link, please. Not so loud. And I feel like hell, thanks for asking."

I made a mental note to talk quieter now. "Here," I said as I handed her a glass of water. "This should help make you feel better, but you'll probably need more than just that one glass."

She opened her eyes, groaned, and took the water from my hand. "Goddesses, drinking isn't even worth this. This is utter bullshit." I know she's in pain, but I couldn't help but laugh.

We fell into silence as she drank her water, and I'm the first to speak up again. "So do you remember anything from last night?"

"Um…" she said as she pressed her hand against her forehead, as if it hurt to think. "I remember loud noises, and I think I threw books everywhere…" Her eyes then shot open and she scanned the floor, only to find it perfectly clear.

"You don't have to worry about that, I already took care of it."

"Wait, really?" She looked at me and then at the bookshelves. "But how did you know where to put—"

"Alphabetical order," I answered, "except for your four favorite books, which are stacked beside the bed with the prettiest cover on top, descending to the ugliest on the bottom."

She looked down at the books, surprised. "Wow, you're good. Hold on… why aren't there any sheets on my mattress?"

"You threw them all over your room."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Brilliant." She looked back up at me with a sad smile on her face. "Sorry you had to take care of me all night."

"Zel, I honestly don't mind. Just as long as you're okay."

She looked down at her glass, took one last sip, and said, "You know, I think I might know something else that could help make me feel better."

"What are you thinking?"

"I think you should tell me a story."

I looked down at her, puzzled. "A story? You don't think hearing me talk would hurt your head more?"

"Well, maybe. But maybe it's worth a shot."

"Alright, if you say so. What story do you want to hear?"

And when she looks up at me then, I can't help but get lost in her eyes, like the first time I saw them. They're bloodshot now, but the blueness of her irises dominate any other features.

Her complexion is pale, but she's still so beautiful. The dullness of her skin makes you wonder how she could possibly be glowing at the same time, an ethereal shimmer that is impossible for me to ignore.

Her hair is tangled but still manages to look like a golden waterfall that you wouldn't mind drowning into.

She is beautiful, fierce, the strongest woman I have ever known. And I love her for all of it. Every victory, every flaw, every inch of her that makes her exactly who she is.

And still looking at me, Hylia smiles, takes a deep breath and says, "Tell me about the time we first met."

* * *

 ****Believe it or not, I didn't make this up! When a person gets struck by lightning, they get patterns of a lightning bolt on their skin. This phenomenon is known as the Lichtenberg Figure. I suggest you to look it up because not only is it really interesting, but you can see pictures of what I was trying to write about and I feel like I don't do it justice, as it's a little difficult to describe.**

 **Alright, so this is the part where I talk about the story itself. When playing the game, I enjoyed the idea that Hylia was controlling Zelda, and** **consequentially, controlling Link as well. And then I thought what is Link had a connection to the first hero? So basically I thought of a situation which is both romantic and tragic, and I just fell IN LOVE with it. Highly and her hero are finally reunited, even with their memories, but they must channel their souls through others. And then, not only do Link and Zelda's lives become affected by sharing souls of the other lovers, but they also are unable to tell the difference between themselves (especially Link in this story). I tried to show this by having Link refer to Zelda as Hylia when he wasn't in control of himself. It made me so sad to write but i just HAD to do it, ya know?**

 **If you or anyone you know of has written a story like this with a similar concept, please let me know! I find it so interesting and I wouldn't mind reading more of it! :D**

 _ **Side Note: I've stated this in other stories of mine before, but when I write stories, I tend to feel like I'm going through it too fast and everything feels rushed. I'm not sure if you or others have felt this too, but I can't help but feel like that. BUT I think I've figured out why: I tend to be a very slow reader. For some reason it takes me forever to read things, and I've just always been like that. So I feel like when I write stories, in my mind it seems very well paced. But since I'm a slow reader, I can't help but feel like it affects my writing, so that's why everything is fast.**_

 _ **I have no idea if any of that made sense (lolz), but I think that might be my issue. So if you have any tips on how to handle it, or if you think I'm just overthinking this, please let me know! I would appreciate it! :)**_


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